East Yorkshire – A cargo ship captain has been convicted of gross negligence manslaughter following a devastating collision in the North Sea that claimed the life of a crew member and triggered a major maritime fire.
The verdict was delivered at the Old Bailey, where a jury found the captain responsible for the death of a seafarer after his vessel struck an anchored oil tanker off the east coast of England, close to the approaches to the Humber.
The collision took place on 10 March last year when the container ship Solong ploughed into the much larger tanker Stena Immaculate, which was stationary at anchor. Both vessels were carrying flammable cargo. The tanker was loaded with jet fuel, while the cargo ship was transporting alcohol and other hazardous materials.
A 38-year-old Filipino crew member was on the forward deck of the Solong at the moment of impact. He was killed instantly. Despite extensive search efforts, his body was never recovered. He left behind a partner and children, including a baby born after his death.
The court heard that the captain was alone on the bridge in the minutes leading up to the collision and failed to take effective action to slow the ship or alter its course, despite clear opportunities to do so. Prosecutors argued that the vessel drifted unchecked into danger in a heavily trafficked stretch of sea.
The defence claimed the incident was the result of a navigational error linked to the disengagement of the ship’s autopilot. That explanation was rejected by the jury.
The impact sparked a large fire that burned for several days and forced both crews to abandon ship. Rescue teams managed to evacuate all remaining crew members without further loss of life.
The captain was remanded in custody following the verdict and is due to be sentenced later this week.
The case has drawn renewed attention to safety practices in busy shipping lanes off the UK’s east coast, particularly the risks associated with lone watchkeeping on large commercial vessels.